May 2014 Current Events: Disasters & Science News

Here are the key events in Science and Disasters news for the month of May 2014.

Mudslide Kills Thousands in Afghanistan (May 2): As many as 2,100 people are killed in a mudslide in Abi Barak, a village in northern Afghanistan. About 300 mud homes are buried in mud that is 200 feet deep in some areas. The tragedy is the worst natural disaster to strike the country in a decade.

Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina See Worst Flooding in a Century (May 15):Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina are hit with the heaviest rains and flooding in over a century. Electricity is lost in several towns and villages. At least 44 people are killed in the flooding, and authorities believe that the death toll will rise. Serbia's Prime Minister Aleksander Vucic declares a state of emergency for the whole country. During a news conference, Vucic says, "This is the greatest flooding disaster ever. Not only in the past 100 years; this has never happened in Serbia's history." In Bosnia, rivers surpass record levels and army helicopters have to evacuate dozens stranded in their homes in the town of Maglaj. Authorities cannot reach Doboj, a town in northern Bosnia, because all roads leading to the town are washed out. The government sends troops to central and eastern towns where thousands have to be evacuated, their homes destroyed by the floods. Sarajevo meteorologist Zeljko Majstorovic says, "This is the worst rainfall in Bosnia since 1894, when weather measurements started to be recorded."